= Overview =
<p style="text-align: center">[[File:BlackstoneLBL.jpg|frame|BlackstoneLBL.jpg]]</p>
<span style="font-family: georgia, serif; font-size: medium; text-align: right">Blackstone is a global alternative investment firm established in 1985. Blackstone currently has $230 billion in assets, and released an initial public offering in 2007. From its own description:</span>
<blockquote><span style="font-family:georgia,serif"><span style="font-size:medium"><span style="color: rgb(94, 94, 94); line-height: 17px">"Blackstone is the world’s largest independent alternative asset manager, serving the investment needs of leading </span></span></span><span style="color: rgb(94, 94, 94); line-height: 17px; font-size: medium; font-family: georgia, serif">public pension funds, academic and charitable institutions and other investors for more than 25 years. Our funds include private equity funds, real estate funds, customized hedge fund solution funds, credit-oriented funds and publicly traded closed-end mutual funds. In addition, we provide investment advice and management services to institutional investors through a variety of separately managed accounts. "</span></blockquote>
<span style="font-size:medium;"><span style="font-family:georgia,serif"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0)">Students and entrepreneurers that use VentureBoard through such an institutuion have access to mentorship opportunities, as well as resources such as a business model canvas, closed discussion boards, a search option to find potential business partners or interested parties, and other contextual resources. Students and entrepreneurers can also express interest in seeking venture capital funding, alerting their mentor and institution so that they can provide potential connections.</span></span></span>
<span style="font-size:medium;"><span style="font-family:georgia,serif"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0)">Beyond Blackstone Launchpad, VentureBoard is currently used by University of MarylandCollege Park, NC State University and Duke University.</span></span></span>
<span style="font-size:medium;"><span style="font-family:georgia,serif"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0)">Ventureboard was created by Scott Block, Justin Searles, Avi Eisenberger and Jordan Goldstein, and students at the University of MarylandCollege Park. The platform evolved to fill a gap they perceived in the ability of entreperenurially-minded students at their school to connect with one another to form successful startups.</span></span></span>
<span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: georgia, serif; font-size: medium;">More information can be found on VentureBoard's website, at </span>[http://ventureboard.co ventureboard.co]<span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: georgia, serif; font-size: medium;">.</span>